The Portland daily press., 1887-10-28
THE FINAL SESSION.
CONCLUDED FROM SECOND PAGE


TO encourage the ladies and young people to an
nual contributions. The amounts thus received
nave varied from $40 to 500, according TO the
ability of the church, but every society thus con
trlDutlng TO the A. Nj A. may work for some de-
mite object and receive the field letters.
TO tile Woman's State organizations we offer
specific work on larger scale of such we mama
the following as cooperating directly with u.s.:
NJ! Name sno vermont each by a "Woman's Aid to
lhe AIM A." Connecticut. New York, Ohio llli-
nois, Michigan, Wisconsin. Iowa, South Dakota,
eeaeh by Wonan's Home Missionary Union, and
minnesota and Kansas by their Woman's Home
The State organizations have some of them un-
dertaken the support of single school, and others
of missionaries selected from different denart-
ments OF our work. In every State, the appeal of
the A NJ. A. is made through its Momans Bureau
70 the ladies' OF all the churches and to all the ladies
OF the churches and the contributions are in part
through the State organizations and In palf direct
all working TO the same end.
Other States also, not yet organized, are assist
Hampshire.
Any society Of old or young people, whether
Missionary. Ladies' Aid, Benevolent Society. Sew
ing Circle or Christian Observation-Disclosures in
wolves combined interests and united work--we
cordially welcome TO share with us in the grand
opportunities Of our field.
In this way the ladies of the Congregational
churches are helping in the support of IL of the
established missions of the American Missionary
Associaton-among the colored people, poor
whites. Indians and Chinese, according to their
choice.
Public meetings in behalf of missions have bean
provided with lady speakers, and in many in
stances the monthly missionary concerts of the
churches having the American Missionary Asso-
citation for subject, in turn have been furnished
with fresh letters from different parts of the field
thus giving vvidness TO the facts gathered from
the Association literature.
We all know that it is not by doing any great
thing that the home is made beautiful and strong
but by the many acts OF thoughtfulness. the light
and skilltul touches which singly appear so SMALL
but together and often repeated become essential
So in our connection with these great mission
boards let us make our work valuable by our
constancy and skill in doing what we can. giving
an aureola to the cause of missions by the well
directed rays of womanly, consecrated service.
Mrs. Shelton followed the secretary with
an address relating to the characteristics of
the Indians, as they had come under her OBJ
seryation while laboring among them, with
her husband. She related incidents which
| showed their innate sense of honesty on the
| part of the children Their strong attach
ments in friendship were also set forth
| they are ready TO sacrifice their own conn
fort at anytime Ia order to show their good
| will to those who have gained their conf
dence aud won their love. They are natur-
I ally filthy, not having that relish for water,
Tor purposes OF cleanliness, that characteriz-
| es the people of New England. They have
| to be taught habits of neatneSs, but they
| show themselves apt to learn.
An interesting account was given of their
manner OF receiving and eating the rations
furnished by the government. A supply in
| tended to last two weeks is sometimes entire
| ly exhausted in one week, the Indians starry
| ing the rest of the time, until the next ra-
tions are giyenout. 1t Is not an unusual
| thing for Indians TO starve to death, while
waiting for the delayed government ra-
| tions.
Their habit of dsposing of the dead was
set fourth. They think each person has
four souls. One soul remaining with the
body after death; another enters the body
| OF an animal or child; another is kept with
a lock of hair of the dead, until by the rela-
| tives 1t is thrown into the country by an en-
| envy; while the fourth travels up the milky
way until it reaches the happy land in which
| they believe.
The method of teaching is to teach the
| principles of the gospel as the only true bas-
Is OF civilization. They are taught to read
| the Bible in the Dakota language. Thou
sands are hearing the Bible read and now
the government has forbidden the use of the
people. The audiences are al
always attentive during religious exercises,
| mothers bringing their infants with them.
and If the little one becomes troublesome,
the mother rises and takes it out without dis
turbing anyone. The speaker related a con-
versation with converted warrior whose
| hand had been REDEEMED with human blood,
| in which he expressed great adherence of
his former savage life, and saying he could
not bear to think of 1t. The address closed
| with an earnest presentation of their claims
for help from Christian people.
MRS Lawrence, wife of Prof. Lawrence,
made an an address concerning the work in
the mountain districts of Tennessee and
kentucky. The people are descendants of
the jamestown settlers. They are ignorant
but very shrewd and greatly devoted to
| politics. are very clownish and are very i'm
itatiye of all that is vicious in higher civil
lZatlon. Some of them realize their need of
the aid of capitalists. They, have comforta-
BILE log houses, some of which are partitioned
off into rooms This is the better class. The
| poorer class are, as Miss 0phelia said $50
shiftless." The men are very lazy, and are
| willing to allow their wives ito be drudges
| Their cabins. no matter how badly they look
on the outside. look worse on the inside.
The food of this class consists of
hoe cake and coffee, and in summer
lew vegetables always cooked
In lard. Tobacco is used by all, and when
nrst told OF its injurious effects they are as
astonshed as you would be to be told that it
is wrong to eat bread. And yet the work
that is being done among them results in
leading them to be consistent Christians. The
work has so gained the confidence of the
| community. that Congregationalism is known
to be Synonymous with pedcedbleRess. Re.
ligious intolerance is very strong among them
In their native churches Two preachers
being present in one meeting the leader
service with prayer. The reply was, Run
your own racketty, SIR" One preacher, by
actual count used the syllable Ter" seventy
| eight times III minute.
| Drunkenness is very common, and the
| pistol, knife and shotgun are used as the
| speediest way of settling disputes and quar-
| rels.
In all this region are scattered the churches
and schools established by this Association.
Ihere are thirteen Sunday schoolslmaintained
by the A. NJ A. There are Bible readings,
sewing schools, and industrial schools for
| boys. Maintain this work by your contribu-
tions and you shall surely reap your reward.
Miss heilog Of Tougaloo, Mississippi, next
gave an interesting account of her work, and
OF the school with which she is connected
The meeting adjourned with the benedic-
ton by Rev. Mr.. Shelton.
Business Meeting.
Meanwhile the business meeting at the
First Baptist church was going on. The
following report ON Secretary Powell's
paper was presented:
Report of Committee on Paper OF
Secretary Powell.
In Secretary Powells paper we have an ac
count OF widely extended disease, or at least a
/ condition of things almost deserving that name
and proposed course of treatment in the use O.
| old and new remedies. The ailment which is
| spread through our churches is lukewarhness In
| the support of the American Missionary Associa-
tion, and DR.. Powells diagnosis recogni yes the
| following symptoms: a. About three-ffths Of
our churches contribute nothing to the support OF
| the society. (2.) Orthose that constribute some
| thing a large proportion contribute very meager
| ly But few OF our members give amounts which
| would indicate the existence of any enthusiasm
on their part or even interest in the Associations
work. 80 The ratio of the lsum-total of these
contributions to the wealth of our churches and
| to the number of their members is diminishing.
| The causes TO which this condition of things
| may be traced are the following: a. Simple
| Ignorance on the part of our people concerning
the Association, its field, its needs its work as
whole and its history. (2l A lack O
| lne proper apparatus for bringing
the claims of the society fairly before cur
churches, and keeping them in full view. OF our
| 1890 churches. from 800 to q thousand may be
considered pastorless, and therefore practically
| destitute OF the executive force by which atten-
| ton TO outside duties is secured; while many OF
them east as well as west, are so feeble, whether
supplied with pastors or not, and so entirely with
laarith